I was in Barnes & Noble today and there was a display I didn't see but expected: World War I. The centennial anniversary for the its start is this July, and it seems like we're very quiet about it. The US didn't enter the war until the end, we were never occupied like in Europe, and it was never a existential struggle for us. But still, this silence is bothering me. In terms of branding, WWII definitely kicks WWI's ass: I'd take Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler, Yamamoto, and Stalin over Joffre, Wilson, Lloyd George, Ludendorff, and Nicholas II any day. The atom bomb, fire bombing, and the Holocaust shocks the public more than gassing, trench warfare, and shelling.

But still... nothing? This really surprises me. People fucking love selling shit on big anniversaries. The fifieth of the JFK assassination last year had fucking TV specials, books, and radio pundits everywhere. You couldn't escape it. I haven't heard a single peep about this. In fact, when I was at the New Books section, there were three about WWII! I know everyone who participated in WWI is dead now, but seriously folks. This is ridiculous.